Chapter One
Parting
"Every parting gives a foretaste of death; every coming together again a foretaste of the resurrection." Arthur Schopenhauer (1788 - 1860)
Aya looked up to see Yuhi behind her. In his right hand, he was struggling to carry a large paper bag full of food while carrying Reka in his left hands. He was half-smiling, his eyes half-closed as though he's enduring something.
"Would you mind?" he asked and slowly forwarded to her the large paper bag. Without saying anything, she took the paper bag from him and walked towards the red car waiting for them.
Yuhi could only follow her with his eyes as she went inside the car's backseat. There was sadness and sympathy in his eyes. Sighing audibly, he decided to go inside the car's front seat. He felt Reka squirmed.
"What is it Reka? You want to go to your Mama?" he asked the six-year old daughter of Aya. Reka playfully played with his hair, not understanding anything he had said. "Sorry, but Mama's not feeling well. Maybe next time, hmm?" he told her pretending that he's talking with the same Reka few years ago.
He sighed again as he signaled the car driver to go on to their destination.
While on their way, Yuhi kept on glancing on Aya at the backseat. Aya still kept herself quiet the whole ride since they have left the Aogiri household. He couldn't help remember the past… The past three years that gradually changed Aya and her daughter, Reka…
It was raining hard that day and Yuhi was forced to wake up from the continuous ringing of the telephone just outside his room. He lazily forced himself to wake up and go to answer whoever it is in the telephone that disturbed his deep slumber.
"Hello? Aog-" He started to speak when he was cut short by a familiar sob from the other line. "Aya? Is that you?"
"Yuhi-chan… he's gone…" the next thing he heard was Aya's muffle cry. It became louder as the moments pass. "I arrived this evening from Ms. Kawasaki's bake shop and found out he's gone. I looked for him everywhere. I went to the clinic where he said he'll have a check up this morning but he was never been there! What should I do? God! I shouldn't have left him alone. I should have known what would happen!" she continued between sobs.
Yuhi couldn't think of anything to say as he himself fell to a deep shock that went through his nervous system, making him numb of everything. The moment of heinous truth he had dreaded to happen, just happened at the time he had less expected it. Three years ago… Toya told him that one day he would be gone. And that he would leave Aya and their child and it actually happened! Toya had known his future with Aya…
"What should I do? What should I do?" he heard Aya asking him almost hysterically. He felt his heart being squeezed like a sponge, his blood being pressed out. How was he to know what she should do?
The next Yuhi did was to run at Aya's house. He found her sitting in their bed. Her hands were covering her face, her shoulder shuddering as a sign that she was crying. Reka who was three year old at that time were on the other corner of the small room. Her green eyes were wide open, not even blinking while looking at her crying mother.
He could feel something bad about the room. Maybe it was the sadness that Aya has just encountered. Maybe it was Reka who was shocked on whatever she saw on the room. At her tender age, she should not be bound to see things which her young heart couldn't understand. Much more of her father's sudden disappearance…
"Reka!" Quickly, he ran to the little girl and checked her condition. She tried to shake the girl slightly to have her attention but her eyes remained unblinking. She was like a statue, a statue with eyes misted with tears. Suddenly, the girl let out a shrill cry. One that pierced through Yuhi's heart. She understands what happened inside the room. Yes, maybe she had seen it for she was always left with her father when Aya leaves…
"We're here!" Yuuna's loud voice to inform them that they've already reached their destination woke Yuhi from those painful memories. "Ha! What a day we had today! I'm glad we're already here." He was talking as he slowly got out of the car. "What do you think, Yuhi? Aya?" he asked sliding in his head on the open window of Yuhi's seat. There was no answer from Aya, to which Yuuna just laughed on.
Yuhi eyed the big yet old guest house owned by the Aogiris. It was two-storey high, a typical Japanese house. There was no gate surrounding it, which was good because they haven't informed his father or Zusumi about their sudden arrival to the place. Neither of them would agree anyway. Even he, himself couldn't bring himself to agree to the main reason why they're in that "almost" forgotten place. "It was old." He said. "That's all." he added to his shocked friend, unexpecting Yuhi's blunt answer. Using his free hand, he reached for the handle of the door. "Aya, we're already here." He turned to tell Aya who didn't make any move to get out of the car.
"Let her be." came Yuuna's low voice. "She could get out of the car herself." He explained later to avoid having a misunderstanding between him and Yuhi. Without waiting for Yuhi's answer, he led the way toward the old house' closed doors and knocked.
"I thought there's no one staying in the house?" Yuhi asked curiously.
"Yeah. But the family hired a caretaker for the house. I called on him while we're on the way. Oh, don't worry, I told him not to tell anyone about us." He told him. It didn't take them a few moments before the front door opened, revealing a bald old man, wearing an old hakata. His eyes were almost unseen due to its too much kinkiness.
"Oh, it was you, Master Yuuna. Come inside, my wife cooked something for the four of you. Ah, you must be hungry after that long ride from Tokyo up here in the mountains." He invited them inside with vigor, bowing continuously to them. "Ah, you must be Master Yuhi, am I right?" he turned to Yuhi who was still carrying Reka in his arms.
"Ah, yeah. But there's no need for you to call me Master though. I'm used to-"
"Ah, that would disrespectful. You are one of the Aogiris to which we are serving loyally." He cut off. "Now, why don't you come inside and eat?" Yuuna and Yuhi nodded. Yuhi was about to call on Aya but he saw her slowly approaching so there was no need to do that.
Aya was still as quiet as before. It hurts him to see her like that. It seems that she was slowly losing all the reason to live and was slowly closing everyone, everything from her… even Reka…even him. She was slowly being eaten by the depression, loneliness, and longing that has not left her ever since the day Toya disappeared…
"Yuhi, do you really think this will solve everything?" Yuuna asked his cousin who was sitting in the couch, his brows almost interlocking as he was thinking very deeply.
"I don't know… But I don't want to see her like that! If this is the only way to help her, to stop her from falling deeper into darkness, I would." Yuhi answered with seriousness in his voice. He was looking down the floor, avoiding his cousin's eyes. "And," he said finally meeting Yuuna's eyes, "I know it's too dangerous, but I have to do it."
Yuuna sighed. He wanted so much to stop Yuhi from fulfilling Aya's wish, but it is also very important to him. The project. He has to think of it, if he still wants to remain on his work. He has a great feeling that it was the only thing that could save him. His only salvation. Damn him. Damn his work. He wanted so much to stop him but he should think about his future. A prodigal son, that's what he is. His work is the only thing that he has to help him survive this cruel world since the day his father stopped supporting him.
"Tomorrow, we will climb up the mountain." Yuuna started. He saw Yuhi looked at him with questioning eyes. "I told you not to bring Reka, but you insisted. But don't worry; we could leave her with the caretaker and his wife." He told him. "Tell Aya to get ready and don't wear uncomfortable clothes, it could slow us down. The way up is rough and steep. I'm sorry Yuhi, but nobody could convince that healer to go down the mountains. He said he was used to living with nature, he was born with it, and will die together with it."
"It's alright, Yuuna. I know Aya won't complain for the sake of seeing Toya again. Anyway, what's more important is that he's tried and tested, am I right?" He looked at Yuuna for reassurance.
Yuuna gulped before answering. "Y-yes, of course. He has performed so many rituals in the past before and it was said that the Gods, through the nature favored him." He answered. His eyes avoiding Yuhi's, his forehead sweated. But Yuhi saw none of this as he was already gathering himself to sleep.
"Gotta go inform Aya." He informed him. "Goodnight." He said without looking back at him.
Aya already guessed it was behind the closed door. She stood up from the bed to open the door.
"Get ready, tomorrow we will go there." That was his first words. "Finally, you'll get to see him again." He said gently. Aya nodded and smiled. Yuhi smiled in return. He turned to go inside his own room which was in front of Aya's room.
"Thank You." Aya whispered, but enough for him to hear. Yuhi turned to see her. His heart almost stopped. Those smile… for a very long time, he craved to see it. If only he could see more than that… if only he could hear her laughter again. But he knows that that would be soon… Once they reach that healer or whatever he was called, the clouds that was there surrounding them for the past three years would be gone and he would see his smiles again… her sunny laughter… her eyes sparkling with happiness will be back again…
"Tomorrow… Aya… and this will be over…" he said, his eyes smiling down at her. Aya looked at him for a few second before finally bidding goodbye and closed the door…